Support device for receptacles



Jan. 3, 1967 J. D. BOWMAN SUPPORT DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Filed April 1,1966 JERRY D. Ban/Mm. INVENTOR BY MM W ATZWRIVEY United States Patent Q3,295,691 SUPPORT DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Jerry D. Bowman, 1310 N. DukaneSt, Indianapolis, Ind. 46224 Filed Apr. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 539,564Claims. (Cl. 21171) This invention relates to a support device,particularly for garbage cans.

A common custom for a resident, who disposes of his garbage by agarbage-collection agency method, is to keep his garbage can in a backyard or near a kitchen door throughout the week. Then, on the day whenthe collection route-man is to collect the garbage (or the nightbefore), the resident will carry the garbage can to a collection orpick-up location, often in the front of his house and out by the streetcurbing.

However, such things as wind or dogs often blow or knock over the can,spilling its contents which are often quite messy and dirty, oftengerm-laden and fiy-laden; and this causes either incomplete pick-up, orthe annoying and dirty task of somehow picking or scooping up thespilled garbage.

Even if no knock-over of the can has been effected prior togarbage-collection, the tin-weighted condition of the can aftercollection lends to it being easily knocked over after collection, withconsequent disorderly sight of the can and lid in the yard of theresident or of a neighbor; and damage is caused to the can or lid.

Concepts of the invention, accordingly, provide a novel and advantageousgarbage-support device which minimizes the likelihood of suchdisadvantageous happenings as have been described.

The inventive concepts, advantages, features, and other details of theinvention are more fully described in the following description of anillustrative embodiment of the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a garbage can having hooked thereon asupport device according to the inventive concepts, this being a storagecondition of the can and device;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view thereof, a can-lid also being shown;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the garbage can and the support device,but the support device being shown in its ground-supported positionsupporting the can, this being a supporting condition at the collectionlocation; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device in the supporting condition,illustrating three garbage cans being supported.

As shown in the drawings, the invention provides a can-support deviceIt) which is quite simple and economical.

The overall device 10 is shown as comprising an upright column membershown as a rod 12, having adjacent its top a downwardly-opening hook 14and one or more upwardly-opening hooks 16. Three of the hooks 16 areshown.

As shown, these hooks 14, 16 are carried on a horizontally-extending armmember shown as a curved support plate 18, the curvature of which isgenerally that of the associated garbage can 20. Rivets 22 are shownconnecting the rod 12 and the plate 18.

The books 16 are spaced about fifty-five degrees apart, and plate 18extends about one hundred twenty degrees, in the illustrativeembodiment, :as is shown in FIG. 4.

A chain 24 is also shown connected to plate 18, being of a length andnature such that it can be retainingly secured to the handle 26 of thecan-lid 28 during and throughout use of the invention.

In use, the user hangs the device 10 upon the garbage 3,295,691 PatentedJan. 3, 1967 can 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by hanging the hook 14upon the upper rim 30 of the can 20*, and outside the can 20, with thecurved plate 18 and the rod 12 lying along the cylindrical vertical Wallof the can 20. (The hook 14, it will be observed, is directed inwardlv'of the can; and the hooks 16 are directed outwardly thereof.)

When so hanging, the device 10 is out or the way of access to the can20; and the book 14 is sufiiciently small that it permits theloose-fitting can-lid 28 to overlie it as well as the can-rim 30,although the hook 14 is of sufficient vertical length that the plate 18,and the hooks 16 and chain 24 carried thereby, are sufficiently low soas not to interfere with the can-lid 28 as it rests on the can 20.

When the user subsequently moves his garbage can 20 to thegarbage-collection location, he carries the can 20 in whateverconvenient manner he chooses. (as by the canhandle or bail 32); and thedevice 10 is thus automatically taken to the collection location, forthe device It) is hanging onto the can in.

A vertical sleeve 34 is buried in the ground 36 at thegarbage-collection location; and when the user gets the can 2% anddevice 10 to the collection location, he unhooks hook 14 from thecan-rim 30 (temporarily lifting can-lid 28 to accommodate this), and heinserts the lower end of support rod 12 into the ground-sleeve 34..(It-is assumed, as in FIG. 3, that a sleeve-lid 38 has been moved to aretracted position, uncovering the upper end of the sleeve 34-.)

Then the user places the can 20 on the ground, and then he slips thecan-handle 48 over the desired one of the upwardly opening hooks in.(Or, if desired, he may pass the can-bail 32 over the hook 16.)

FIG. 3 illustrates this condition of the can 20 and support device it?at the garbage-collection location, the garbage can 20 being supportedby the device 10 which is supported by the ground. Dogs nor the Windcannot push over the can Zil.

When the garbage-collection agent comes to remove the garbage from thecan it he removes the lid as, and easily moves the can 2@ from thedevice 10 by a lifting motion which clears the can'handle 44? from. thehook 16. (The chain 24 assures that the lid 23 will remain convenientlyclose to the location at which the can 20 Will be replaced; and assuresalso against the lid 28 blowing or rolling away.)

After the garbage contents of the can at have been duly transferred tothe collection vehicle, the collector then places the can 2%) down. Thepresence of the hooks 16 and the lid 23 at the specific location of thedevice 410 hopefully encourages the collector to replace the can 29 withits handle it? over a hook 15. The tendency would seem to be encouragingto the goal, for the additional reasons that the collector sees that theresident is himself taking some care and pride of the property, and thedevice 16 visually announces itself to be the specific location desired.Moveover, the desired replacing of the can 25) in the supported manneris rather convenient, so no great effort or time need be spent by thecollector in replacement.

Even, however, if the collector does not so replace the can 2% desirablyalso replacing the lid 28 atop the can 20, it is quite convenient forthe resident to replace the empty can 20 and the lid 28 in the supported(FIG. 3) position; and if desired, the resident may permit the can 2%)to remain at the garbage-collection location until a more convenienttime to move the can 20 back to the usual storage location. In movingthe can 20 back to the storage location, the device It is hooked ontothe can 20 as described above, thus easily moving the device it? to thestorage location as an incident to the moving of the can 20 thereto; andthe presence of the chain 24 a; associated with the can-lid 28 remindsthe user not to move the can 20 without also the device 10, for the lid28 cannot be moved (more than the chain length) without the device 10.

The curved nature of the plate 18, as shown, permits one support 19 toaccommodate a plurality of cans 20 in a rather compact space.

If desired, a ground-sleeve 34 may be installed in the storage area ofthe can 20, providing that the resident may maintain the supported (FIG.3) condition of the can 20 in its storage location as well as at thecollection location. The rod 12 may if desired be provided with a spikedor pointed lower end, for thrusting into the ground, if no ground-sleeve34 is desired.

It is thus seen that a can-supporting device according to concepts ofthe present invention provides novel and advantageous concepts andfeatures of simplicity, economy of manufacture, smallness andcompactness, ease of use, and convenience of use, toward the overallresult of providing an advantageous and novel support deviceparticularly for garbage cans. Its use and utility are fairlyeffectively assured; and its convenience and handy character and usehave been described.

Accordingly, it will be seen from the foregoing description of theinvention according to the illustrative embodiment, considered with theaccompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new anduseful device having desired advantages and characteristics, andaccomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointedout and others which are inherent in the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from thescope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the inventionis not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts hereindescribed or shown.

What is claimed is:

'1. A support device for a receptacle, comprising, in combination:

a ground-engaging support;

a first abutment means for engaging an associated receptacle to supportthe device by the receptacle; and

a second abutment means for engaging the associated receptacle to retainthe receptacle by the said support device.

2. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichthe said first abutment means comprises a downwardly-opening hook meansadapted to hook over the rim of the said associated receptacle.

3. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichthe said second abutment means comprises an upwardly-opening hook meansadapted to retainingly receive a handle of the associated receptacle.

4. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which aconnector means is provided and is retainingly engageable with the saiddevice and also with associated lid of said associated receptacle.

5. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichthe support device includes an arcuate member, the radius of curvatureof which generally corresponds to the radius of curvature of the saidassociated receptacle.

6. A support device as set forth in claim 5, in combination in whichthere are plurality of the second abutment means, being located atspaced locations along said arcuate member, accommodating a plurality ofassociated receptacles by a single support device.

7. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichthere is support means associated with the ground and retaininglyreceives said groundengaging support.

3. A support device as set forth in claim 7, in which saidground-associated support means is a sleeve means recessed into theground, and said ground-engaging support means retainingly but removablyfits theneinto.

9. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichsaid first abutment means extends in one direction from the saidground-engaging support, and the said second abutment means extends in agenerally opposite direction.

10. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in whichthe said first abutment means is po si-tioned operatively upwardly ofsaid second abutment means to provide that the associated lid of theassociated receptacle may overlie the said first abutment means and thetop of said associated receptacle without interference of said secondabutment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,43 0,672 11/1947 Grandrud 24815 6 3,079,119 2/ 1963 Brooks 248-146 3,080,978 3/1963Gress fill-71,

CLAUDE A LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

1. A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RECEPTACLE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AGROUND-ENGAGING SUPPORT; A FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS FOR ENGAGING ANASSOCIATED RECEPTACLE TO SUPPORT THE DEVICE BY THE RECEPTACLE; AND ASECOND ABUTMENT MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE ASSOCIATED RECEPTACLE TO RETAINTHE RECEPTACLE BY THE SAID SUPPORT DEVICE.